Nick Reiner's Lawyer Exits Case, Declares Him 'Not Guilty'

Nick Reiner was not arraigned as expected on Wednesday; instead, high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from Reiner's murder case, with the court approving a switch to Los Angeles County public defender Kimberly Greene, who has nearly two decades of experience. The judge set a new arraignment date for Feb. 23; Reiner, briefly addressing the court, said, "Uh, yeah I agree with that."

The New York Times reports the "significant departure ... may suggest that the Reiner family—Nick has two siblings—has distanced itself from Mr. Reiner and his legal case, at least financially." The family was tightlipped in a statement released to the Times in the wake of the news: "They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings."

In a news conference following the hearing, Jackson—who has represented clients like Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Karen Read—said circumstances beyond his control forced him off the case. "Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder," he said. "Print that." Reiner remains in custody without bail in the Dec. 16 murders of his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. This story has been updated with Jackson's remarks.